Watching Him Sleep
by Farla
Summary: In which Pearl is levelheaded and focused in the months after Rose's death.


This came about from pondering the timeline. Greg and Amethyst's first stint with the Lil' Butler tapes is after Steven's birth but early enough Steven has no memory of it.

* * *

The baby breathes out.

The baby breathes in.

The baby breathes out.

There are many reasons why human babies die.

The baby breathes in.

The majority of reasons are due to misconstructed parts.

The baby breathes out.

Rose would not have made mistakes.

The baby breathes in.

Rose knew what she was doing.

The baby breathes out.

The baby must be correct.

The baby breathes in.

Some deaths have known causes.

The baby breathes out.

Some not.

The baby breathes in.

To be correct is not a guarantee.

The baby breathes out.

To be whole is not a guarantee. (Hadn't that been made so clear these last few thousand years.)

The baby breathes in.

The baby has been placed on its back.

The baby breathes out.

There is nothing else in there to cause problems.

The baby breathes in.

The mattress does not bend under the baby's weight.

The baby breathes out.

There is no pillow.

The baby breathes in.

There is no blanket.

The baby breathes out.

The stuffed toy is on the floor outside of the bars.

The baby breathes in.

The temperature is precisely twenty degrees.

The baby breathes out.

All directions are being followed.

The baby breathes in.

Everything harmful has been banished.

The baby breathes out.

"Pearl?"

The baby breathes in.

"It's sleeping," she says.

The baby breathes out.

"Right."

The baby breathes in.

"I, uh, got some more formula."

The baby breathes out.

"Do you need me to-"

The baby breathes in.

"No, that's fine."

The baby breathes out.

The baby breathes in.

The baby breathes out.

"How's Steven been?"

The baby breathes in.

"Breathing stopped from 17:52:14 to 17:52:20."

The baby breathes out.

"Oh...okay. That's...that's..."

The baby breathes in.

"Normal interruptions last no longer than five seconds," Pearl says.

The baby breathes out.

"Six seconds is longer than five seconds," Pearl says.

The baby breathes in.

The baby breathes out.

"I thought it was ten seconds."

The baby breathes in.

"Ten seconds is a sign of a problem."

The baby breathes in.

"Five seconds and less is normal."

The baby breathes out.

Nothing said what six seconds is.

The baby breathes in.

She had decided to wake it at seven.

The baby breathes out.

She is precise.

The baby breathes in.

She knows exactly the force needed, the tiny safe window between not enough and shattered. Awake.

The baby breathes out.

It won't suffocate if it's awake.

The baby breathes in.

It can't be kept awake or parts will begin to fail.

The baby breathes out.

If anything is wrong it will stop and it will never not be stopped, it will shatter and melt until it is completely gone, like it was never there at all.

The baby breathes in.

Seven had not happened.

The baby breathes out.

Seven had not happened yet.

The baby breathes in.

The baby breathes out.

"Don't worry," she says.

The baby breathes in.

"Rose knew what she was doing."

The baby breathes out.

"Why don't you go see Amethyst?"

The baby breathes in.

"Watch that show you two like, Small Butler?"

The baby breathes out.

The baby breathes in.

"I, uh, just got back from that."

The baby breathes out.

The baby breathes in.

"Figured I'd stop in."

The baby breathes out.

"You must be tired." The books say parents get tired. Sometimes the sentence makes him go away.

The baby breathes in.

"Yeah. But, I'm good."

The baby breathes out.

The baby breathes in.

The baby breathes out.

"About, uh, Amethyst."

The baby breathes in.

"I know she said she uh..."

The baby breathes out.

"...well..."

The baby breathes in.

"...but maybe I should invite her again."

The baby breathes out.

The baby breathes in.

"That's not necessary. She came by once."

The baby breathes out.

The baby breathes in.

"Did it...how'd it go?"

The baby breathes out.

"Fine."

The baby breathes in.

"Really?"

The baby breathes out.

"The baby didn't interest her."

The baby breathes in.

look at me pearl look at me

The baby breathes out.

"Then she left."

The baby breathes in.

just look at me pearl please please just look at me

The baby breathes out.


End file.
